The Flower that Blooms In Winter
by Kuroi-Mikomi-3
Summary: Takes place several years after the manga. On the brink of World War III, Usui is conscripted to fight in the army, leaving behind his wife Misaki and son Yue.
1. The Bitter Winter

**Hey Guys! I've finally started my second fanfic. It takes place after Misaki and Usui have graduated high school and have gotten married. Please enjoy!**

**I do not own kaichou wa maid sama (although I do want to)**

The Flower that Blooms In Winter

It was a cold morning in December and the sun shined brightly in the naked, blue sky. The lonely trees stood, their leafless branches exposed to the frigid air. A thick blanket of snow covered the roads and the shingles of all the houses. The sounds of laughter could be heard from a nearby park. Children were playing; they were running around throwing snowballs at one another and making snow angels on the ground.

Ayuzawa Misaki turned off the gas on her stove as the kettle whistled and white steam rushed swiftly out of its spout. She clutched the wooden handle and carefully poured emerald green tea into a little white cup. As she carried it to the living room, she looked at her reflection in the water. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, her hair was a tangled mess and the whites of eyes had turned bright red. She sat the tea down on the table in front of him and quickly turned around to leave.

"Misaki, please, "begged Usui Takumi, "Sit down."

She obediently sat in the couch in front of him, looking down at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

"Don't be like this," said Usui.

Misaki did not reply or look up at him.

"Come on, don't be like this. Look at me, "he said with a faint smile on his lips.

"Daddy, look what I made for you!" A little boy ran into the room proudly clutching a piece of paper.

"What have you got there, Yue?" said Usui, looking at his son's creation.

"It's a picture of our family, so you can remember us."

Usui looked at the paper and smiled. Although drawn by a toddler's hand in crayon, it was beautiful. It was a picture of him, Yue, Misaki, Suzuna, Shintani and Minako standing in front of their house. The six of them were holding hands and smiling from ear to ear.

"I love it," he said. "You've grown to be quite the artist." Usui picked up his son and sat him in his lap and kissed him on top of his head. "I'm going to miss you," said Usui.

"I'm going to miss you too, daddy," his son replied.

"Now, go play," said Usui.

Misaki and Usui watched as their son ran out of the room and dashed the up the stairs.

"Misaki, can you please come over here?"

"No," Misaki replied, her voice was hoarse.

"At least look at me," said Usui, desperately.

"No, I don't want to."

Exhaling deeply, Usui looked at his watch.

"Misaki, I've got to go now. Will you at least see me off?"

* * *

Usui was at the door, suitcase in hand. He was dressed in his green and black camouflage patterned army uniform. Misaki and Yue watched him as he put on his jacket and tied his bootlaces.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. Yue, take care of your mother for me, will you?"

"Yes sir!" his son boldly replied, raising his hand up to his head in salute.

Usui returned his salute and then turned to Misaki, who still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Misaki, will you at least let me see your eyes one last time before I leave?"

She looked up to him; tears were streaming down from her hazel eyes. "Will you come back?" she asked.

"I will. I promise," he said earnestly. "Now, can you give your favourite alien a goodbye hug?" he asked, raising his hands. "Stupid Takumi," she said and she ran into his arms.

The two wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace. Each held onto the other as though dependant on the other for survival. Usui let go of Misaki and picked up his suitcase. "Good bye," he said.

He opened the door and walked out into the frigid world. The winter moon shone brightly in the starless night sky. There was complete silence. The children had gone home to their own families and were settling down for the night. Usui walked about a block before he turned around and waved his hand towards his family with a faint smile on his face. Then, he turned around and walked off into the night.

**I hope you guys liked it. Note: Usui is wearing a uniform, but his occupation isn't being a soldier. Hopefully I can clear things up in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for reading! **


	2. Departure

**Hey Guys! Finally done the second chapter, please enjoy! **

**(I still don't own Kaichou wa Maid Sama)**

Departure

_Just In: Atlantican troops have broken through the Japanese Pacific frontier. Intelligence suggests that their next target may be major cities in central Japan. Anyone living in Tokyo, Yokohoma, Osaka, Kyoto or Kobe is strongly advised to take precautionary measures._

Misaki stared at the television screen with a vacant expression on her face. She had large bags under her bloodshot eyes and her eyelids were stained with a faint purple hue. Her face had lost its colour and was now a sickly pale shade.

"Mommy, why do I have to go?" Yue asked.

Misaki quickly reached for the remote and turned the television off. "Have you picked what toy you're taking with you?"

"I did, I'm bringing Usaa-chan."

"Yue, that toy is all worn out. Why don't you pick something else? You have so many nice new toys."

"No! I want to bring Usaa-chan, he's my best friend."

Misaki laughed. "Alright then, you can Usaa-chan."

"Mommy, why do I have to go? I want to stay with you."

"But you're going to miss out if you don't go. Grandma Minako says she'll take you to an amusement park. You can ride the Ferris wheel and the Merry-Go-Round. You'll have lots of fun with Grandma Minako, way more fun than if you stay here with me."

"Then come with us. I want to ride the Ferris wheel with Grandma and mommy and daddy too."

Misaki smiled. "I'm sorry. I wish I could go with you, but I just can't. I have to stay here."

"If you're not going then neither am I," said Yue, pouting. He crossed his arms and sat down firmly on the couch.

Misaki walked over and sat down on the floor in front of him.

"I promise that when daddy comes back, we'll all go together, alright?"

"Okay mommy," he replied.

"Now, come on. Let's go get your stuff; we don't want to keep Grandma Minako waiting."

* * *

Misaki hurried to open the front door after hearing a sharp knocking sound coming from it.

"Is he ready?" asked Minako, her voice urgent.

"Yes. Do you have everything you need? Money, papers?"

"Everything."

"Hi grandma!" said Yue excitedly.

"Hey! There's my favourite grandson. Are you ready for our vacation? I've got all sorts of fun activities planned for us."

"Mm-hm. Mommy says you're going to take me to the amusement park."

"I sure am. Now, I'll get your things in the car while you say goodbye to mommy."

Yue ran to his mother and embraced her tightly. "I'm going to miss you mommy."

"I'm going to miss you too, Yue," said Misaki.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

"Oh, no reason," she replied, quickly wiping away her tears. She knelt down and said, "Now, you be a good boy."

Yue lifted his hand and wiped away his mother's tears. "I will," he said.

"Yue, why don't you go sit in the car. I've got to talk with your mother for a bit," said Minako.

The two watched as Yue sat walked to the car and fastened his seatbelt.

"He has grown up, hasn't he?" asked Minako

"Yeah, they grow up so fast," replied Misaki.

"Misaki, this may be the last time I ever see you again," said Minako.

"I know." Misaki reached over and gave her mother a hug. "Bye mom."

"Goodbye Misaki."

Minako started the car and pulled out of the driveway. As she turned to leave, she lowered the car windows and waved at Misaki.

"Bye mommy!" cried Yue, frantically waving his hand.

"Bye! Have fun you too!"

Misaki watched as the two drove off. She walked back inside the house and shut the door. She covered her face as tears began to flow from her eyes. She sobbed uncontrollably as she fell to the floor.

_Blind eyes do not see, _

_The red the flows from my wrists, _

_The flowers still bloom, _

_And the birds singing still fly, _

_Even while tears do flow._

**Sorry! This chapter doesn't really clear things up either. I promise to try and include some more information in the next chapter about what's going on. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.  
**


	3. The Autumn Wind

**Hi! i finally managed to write a chapter that gives some background information to what's happening in the book. Enjoy. **

**(I don't own Kaichou Wa Maid Sama) **

Avarice is amongst the most powerful of human characteristics. An uncontrollable and insatiable desire for wealth and power can be destructive not only to the bearer of the trait, but to those around him/her. After the signing of the treaty of New York, the Atlantican Federation was formed. A vast and powerful state, it encompassed the entirety of North and South America, stretching from the northernmost reaches of the Arctic Ocean to the southern tip of Chile. Although the country and its inhabitants were wealthy, enjoying a landmass rich in resources and plentiful in factories and industry, they were not satisfied. They sought for more. So, in an attempt to fill their bottomless pits of desire, they launched a massive assault against Japan, hoping to secure the country's people as slaves and its industries for their consumption. With a tiny military, Japan had no choice but to turn to its civilians for help. The government passed laws to make military service mandatory for able men over the age of 21. Even though Japan's forces fight bravely, they are no match for the sheer number of Atlantican troops and their superior technology. Currently, Japan waits for military aid from other countries, but in fear of making themselves enemies of Atlantica, no one has yet lent a hand.

* * *

It was autumn. The leaves of the trees had taken shades of red, yellow and orange. The trees could only watch hopelessly as their leaves were torn off their branches and pulled to the ground. As one walked through the streets, one could hear the crunching of the dead leaves, crushed underfoot. Most plants and flowers had died, finding themselves incapable of surviving the cold temperatures. No longer did lilies or orchids jut out of the ground; instead, their carcases lay withering away.

Misaki watched as a family scavenged through the rubble of what was once their home. It was a young family; the parents weren't much holder than Misaki and Usui and had a little girl about the same age as Yue. Their home was in ruins. The walls had collapsed and the roof had completely caved in. All around the site, there was broken furniture and belongings the family once had. Misaki watched as the little girl picked out a stuffed teddy bear from the rubble. The girl's face brightened at the sight of her discovery and she hugged the teddy bear tightly.

A year hadn't even passed since the war started, but already Misaki's world had completely changed. Her family was torn apart with her husband fighting at sea and her son and mother hiding in the countryside. She had lost her home. After taking cover in a bomb shelter at night, she awoke to find her home reduced to rubble in the morning.

Misaki stopped at a crossing light. An army truck drove by carrying the remains of a soldier in a black, wooden hearse. It stopped at a house, whereupon an elderly woman came running out. Upon seeing the coffin, she began crying and screaming "my son, my son, you've killed my son". Army officials could only watch with sad eyes as she threw herself onto the hearse, weeping.

Misaki crossed the road and made her way to a small apartment at the end of the street.

"I'm back," said Misaki as she closed the front door behind her.

"Welcome back Misaki. How was work?" replied Suzuna.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Is Shintani back yet?"

"Hey Misaki," said Shintani as he rolled his wheelchair into the living room.

"Hey," she replied.

"Misaki, I'm making some coffee, would you like some?" asked Suzuna.

"Yeah."

Suzuna came out of the kitchen carrying two white mugs. She set them down in front of her husband and Misaki. The coffee had a rich, black colour and wispy steam emerged from it. As Misaki drank from the cup, she closed her eyes and let the coffee warm her entire body.

"Thanks again for letting me stay with you guys," she said.

"Misaki, we've been over this, you don't have to thank us," said Shintani.

"Yeah, you would've done the same had it been us," added Suzuna.

"Still, you guys have done so much for me I don't know how to thank you two enough."

"You don't have to. Family members exist to help and provide comfort to one another in times of need," said Shintani. "Speaking of family, have you heard any news of Usui yet?" asked Shintani, suddenly becoming urgent.

"I haven't heard anything of him since he left. He hasn't called and his superiors haven't informed me of his whereabouts," said Misaki. Her brows were furrowed and her forehead had deep lines running through it. "I'm so worried."

"How are the troops doing?" asked Suzuna.

Misaki did not respond. Her grip on her mug tightened.

"Not well. At least a hundred thousand are dead. If we don't get outside help soon, we may lose the war entirely," said Shintani. "What about Yue and Minako, are they okay?"

"They're fine. I talked to them just yesterday," said Misaki, relaxing her grip. "They're still in Hokkaido and they're not alone. Apparently the entire island is filled with thousands of refugees consisting of the elderly and the young. The island is one of the only safe havens from Atlantican troops. The rest of the people of Japan have to live under a shadow of fear, worrying constantly about when their city will be the next victim of the nightly bombings.

The three sat silently. Outside, the wind howled loudly and blew swiftly, rustling leaves and creating eerie noises through the streets.

**Sorry! I know this chapter isn't all too exciting, but it should help clear things up. Thanks for reading! A big thank to everyone who commented, it really means a lot to me. :') **


	4. An Old Friend

**Finally, I'm done! Sorry it took so long, but I had so many tests and extra curriculars this week. Please enjoy! **

**(I don't own the awesomeness that is Kaichou Wa Maid Sama) **

An Old Friend

Misaki looked up at the sky. It was summer and the sun was beating fiercely. The air was hot and sticky and wherever she went, she could hear the songs of the cicadas. When she reached the café, she breathed a sigh of relief. The inside was air conditioned and she couldn't help but enjoy the cool breeze the café offered.

"Welcome back, Misaki," said Sakura, smiling brightly.

"Yes, welcome," said Shizuko, straightening her glasses.

"Hey guys," replied Misaki, panting. "Sorry I'm late. I missed the bus and had to run all the way here."

"Wow! You ran all the way from your house? But that's so far away!" exclaimed Sakura.

"As expected of Misaki," said Shizuko, smiling. "Don't worry about it. We've already prepared the shop for opening. Just go ahead and change."

"Thanks guys, you're the best," said Misaki.

Misaki went into the back of the store to the staff locker room. She took off her clothes and changed into her uniform. Even after working at the shop for almost a year, Misaki still couldn't get used to the clothes she wore. The yukata was stunning. Dyed in black and painted with floral designs consisting of elegant pink and white flowers, it would've been the envy of any girl who laid eyes on it. Her silk obi was deep red and covered in intricate patterns of swirls and curves. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, Misaki couldn't help but wonder how such things were created. Humans were capable of anything once they put their minds to it.

Misaki exited the changing room and went into the main shop. It was bustling with activity. All around her she could see waitresses walking around and getting people's orders, and customers seated at their tables waiting for breakfast. She never could understand why people were willing to pay so much for something like tea and coffee. A single cup cost ¥1500 (about $15) at this store, while costing only a fraction of that at another. Perhaps this was what people did when they had lots of money to spare. She never understood what that was like− having more than you needed. Although she had graduated from university with top marks, she hadn't been able to find a law office that would hire her. The competition for jobs in a struggling economy was fierce, and Misaki simply couldn't compete with those who had far more experience than her. Had Usui been there, he would never have let her work in a café. He knew that her passion was to help defend the weak and wronged, not serving customers all day long. He was her guardian angel and without him, she felt exposed. She longed to be with him.

"Misaki, could you please go to table six? They're ready to order," said Shizuko, running into the kitchen for a guest's order.

"Sure thing."

Being a high end shop, there had been a huge emphasis on attention to detail when designing the interior. All the tables were of mahogany and were surrounded by chairs upholstered with soft, red velvet. The walls had a rustic brick finish and were covered with oil paintings depicting scenes of Tokyo and Osaka. The store design was meant to be Japanese with a modern, western twist. When she reached the table she saw a small family. Parents had brought their little boy out for breakfast

"Welcome masters," said Misaki, bowing. "How may I help you this morning?"

"Could I get two coffees and omelettes for my wife and myself, and−" the father turned towards his son. "Kei, what would you like?"

"I want… I want what mommy and daddy are having!" he said excitedly.

"Okay then," said his father. "Make that three omelettes."

"Certainly master," said Misaki, turning away. As she walked towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but feel sadness in her heart. The boy reminded her so much of Yue: the boy's smile, the way he asked to have what his parents were having. Yue always did that when she and Usui took him out anywhere. It always managed to bring a smile to their faces. It'd been so long since she last saw him and she missed him profoundly. Misaki wondered how Usui felt about not seeing Yue in such a long time. It was probably tearing him apart. After all, he and Yue had been inseparable and before the war they hadn't been apart from each other for more than a day. Yue would always sit at the windowsill, waiting eagerly for his father to return home. When he came home, Usui would always give Yue a little present. Even though it was something small, like chocolate or a toy, getting something from his father would make his face light up. Usui would then walk over to Misaki and give her a great big hug and ask her if she had missed him. Misaki of course would deny it and ask, "Who would miss you?" Usui would laugh and give her a kiss on the top of her head. He would then go and sit down at the dinner table with Yue and the two would talk about their days while waiting for Misaki to bring dinner.

The day progressed, busily as ever. There were so many people with so many demands, each thinking only about himself/herself. As closing time approached, the store became emptier and emptier, until there were no more customers. At fifteen minutes to closing time, Misaki was walking towards the kitchen when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Misaki?"

Misaki turned around, surprised.

"Igarashi?" she asked.

Igarashi Tora was quite surprised to see Misaki. He had never been to the store before and certainly wasn't expecting her to be there. Upon seeing her, a red blush came upon his cheeks and he quickly looked down at the floor. Misaki was more beautiful than he could possibly imagine. Even while in high school he always thought she was pretty, but now she was stunning. He felt like a shy school boy and tried to compose himself as he looked at her. He tried desperately to hide his embarrassment.

"Heh," he laughed. "I always thought you'd end up becoming a full-time maid."

Misaki became irritated. Igarashi had always been a nuisance to her and it seemed that she could never get rid of him. He was just like a weed, always coming back, no matter how much you tried to ensure otherwise.

"What? Aren't you going to say 'welcome back master' or something?" he asked, smirking.

"Certainly," she replied with a wide grin on her face and deep lines running through her forehead. "Welcome back, master," said Misaki in a sickeningly sweet voice marred with sarcasm. As she bowed, Igarashi began laughing.

"You're still the same interesting character, it seems" he said. "We have a lot to catch up on. Would you care to have dinner with me?"

"I'm sorry," said Misaki, folding her arms across her waist. "Unlike someone who clearly has way too much time on his hands, I have to work." There was no way she was going have dinner with someone as annoying as him. He would probably spend the whole dinner bullying her and picking at all her flaws.

"It's okay Misaki; you can go have dinner with Mr. Igarashi," said Sakura. "We can take care of closing the store."

"No, I couldn't. That would be unfair." Misaki turned towards Sakura with desperate eyes. What was Sakura doing? Why was Sakura throwing Misaki into the hands of Igarashi, as opposed to helping her escape?

"It really is okay, Misaki," said Shizuko, walking by with a pile of plates in her hands. "You have dinner with Igarashi, while Sakura, I and the other maids clean up." She turned towards Igarashi and said, "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has. Hello Shizuko, Sakura," said Igarashi nodding his head towards the two.

"Hi!" said Sakura waving her hand. "Now, let's go Shizuko," she said nudging Shizuko in the back.

"Sakura, why are you pushing me? I'm going to drop all the plates!" exclaimed Shizuko, struggling to maintain balance of the tower of plates in her hand.

Misaki was staring at her two friends, her mouth wide open, as they disappeared into the back of the store. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. She had expected Shizuko to come to the rescue and save her from the wild animal Igarashi, not lock her in a cage with him. Now she was stuck with him and there was nothing she could do about it. She was still in disbelief as she walked over to the table Igarashi was sitting at, staring at the floor and wondering if Shizuko had become Sakura's minion. Sakura was known to make hasty and often catastrophic decisions that landed her in heaps of trouble. For instance, when she fell in love Kuga and ended up being getting her heart broken when he started hitting on Misaki. However, on the other hand, Kuga did end up becoming Sakura's boyfriend. Even if things worked out that time, there were other instances when Sakura's decisions ended up harming her. For example… hmm… when she… no that ended up working out too… never mind.

As soon as Misaki saw his face, her bewilderment transformed into anger. Steam rose from the top of her head and the veins on her forehead swelled up as her heart rate increased. She couldn't contain herself, who was he to suddenly barge into her life and tell her what to do? Upon seeing her clear discontentment with his presence, Igarashi grinned.

Misaki stopped in front of the table and stared at him. He was just as she remembered him, well almost. His hair was still the same annoying platinum blonde and his eyes still the same golden colour, but he looked older.

"Have a seat Misaki," he said, motioning towards the chair in front of him.

"What do you intend to do to me?" she asked, suspicious of his motives. The last time she was with him, he had stolen a kiss from him. Igarashi Tora was quite the pervert. He had even attempted to take advantage of her once, with her pinned helplessly onto the floor in a rather revealing dress. With a history of doing odd things like that, Misaki wasn't going to let her guard down around him, not even for a second.

"Nothing, I just want to talk," he replied, crossing his hands and resting his chin above them.

Misaki sat down, but she was still suspicious of Igarashi's true motives.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked, looking at the menu.

"Um… I'm not sure," she replied. Despite having worked at the restaurant for almost a year, Misaki hadn't actually ever tried any of the items on the menu. The menu was dotted with dishes she had carried to tables countless times, yet was completely unfamiliar with. To her, they seemed to be from a completely different world.

(I'll just call him Tora) Tora watched her intently. Her hazel-brown eyes and midnight-black hair were still as beautiful as they had ever been. To him, she was still the same old Misaki. She was still completely clueless about the feelings of the people around her. She still thought that he was some perverted guy that took pleasure in nothing but taunting her. It hurt him, knowing she didn't feel the same way about him as he did about her.

"If you don't know what to order, I'll just order the whole menu," he said.

"Wait—"

Waitress!" he called, waving his hand towards a waitress standing nearby.

"Yes master. How may I help you today?"

"I'd like to order everything on the menu, please."

"Certainly."

"No, wait, don't do such unnecessary things!" said Misaki, rather embarrassed. "I'll just have…" Misaki quickly scanned the menu, searching desperately for a menu item she was at least slightly familiar with. Fortunately, she managed to find something on the last page.

"I'll have beef wellington," she finally said.

"Of course. And what will you be having, sir?"

"I'll have what she's having."

"I'll be back with your orders," said the maid, bowing and turning towards the kitchen.

"Beef wellington?" asked Tora, after the maid had left.

"Yeah, Usui took me to a restaurant once and he ordered some. Apparently it was one of his favourite things from when he was younger," said Misaki, smiling fondly.

Tora's hand closed together to form a tight fist. "Usui?" he asked. Tora didn't understand why he felt the way he did because it wasn't as though he was surprised. From the moment he saw them together, Tora knew that he wouldn't be able to compete with Usui. Usui completed Misaki in a way that Tora would never be able to, no matter how hard he tried. It was as though the two of them were made for each other, strengthening each other's weaknesses and fortifying each other's strengths. Misaki would always love _him_.

"The two of you are still together?" he asked.

"Yeah, since high school," she replied.

"Are the two of you married?" he asked, cautiously.

"Yes. We've been married for several years now."

"Oh, I see…"

"What about you, are you married?" Misaki asked curiously.

"No, I was waiting for someone."

"Was? As in you aren't waiting for her anymore?"

"No," said Tora, looking down at the table.

"Who is she?" asked Misaki.

"You still don't know?" Tora asked, getting up from his seat.

"Sorry for the wait masters. Here are your two orders of beef wellington; please enjoy," said the maid, bowing and putting their order on the table in front of them.

"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Misaki, confused by Tora's strange behaviour.

"Just tell me one thing Misaki. Are you happy with him?" Tora was still looking down at the table.

"Well I guess, but—"

"But what?" asked Tora, finally meeting Misaki's gaze. He was no longer smirking and the playful, mischievous glint in his eyes had been replaced with an emotion Misaki never thought she would see— concern.

"I haven't heard from him for a while now. He left for the military almost a year ago," she replied sadly.

"Oh, I see." Tora took out his wallet and slammed two ¥10000 bills onto the table. "That should be enough. You can get yourself whatever you'd like with the remaining money." He turned around and began walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked a rather confused Misaki.

"I forgot about a meeting I have to attend. Sorry. I'll see you later Misaki," he replied, quickly rushing out of the store and disappearing into the night.

Tora walked towards his car, hands in his pocket, staring down at the cold, gravel pavement. His heart ached, consumed with sadness. Tora knew from the start that Misaki would choose Usui, however, that didn't stop him from hoping that she wouldn't. It was no surprise to him to hear that she had married Usui. They probably had a kid too. Nonetheless, the news was still broke his heart. Why was fate so cruel to him? Why did he have to fall in love with her? There were hundreds of girls out there who went mad over him, yet he had fallen in love with the one girl he could never have. As he recalled his conversation with Misaki, he suddenly stopped running and looked up. A single star shone brightly and illuminated the night sky. A small smile formed on his lips. Perhaps *Fortuna hadn't been unkind to him after all.

* * *

Misaki's brows were furrowed and her mind was still contemplating the events that had unfolded that night. As she changed into her regular clothes, she wondered, what had just happened? Why did Igarashi seem so distraught? Igarashi had always came across to her as a confident individual, so what on earth had happened to him that night? As she exited the locker room, she saw Sakura and Shizuko waiting for her at the door.

"Sorry Misaki, I have to leave right away. Some stuff came up at home; sorry I can't walk to the bus stop with you tonight," said Sakura exasperatedly, while stuffing her phone into her pocket.

"Same," said Shizuko. "Sorry Misaki."

"It's alright guys. You two should get going or you'll miss the bus."

"Bye Misaki," said Sakura and Shizuko, running out the door.

"Bye," waving towards them.

Misaki walked to the manager sitting at the reception desk. He was busy writing reports about the day's activities.

"I'll be leaving now. Good bye," said Misaki.

"Thanks for your hard work," said the manager.

Before she could leave however, he asked her, "Hey Misaki, how do you know Igarashi Tora?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, it's just that I didn't think you'd be acquainted to someone of his social standings. Wait, sorry, that sounded kind of mean," he said embarrassed. "It's just that he's an executive of the Igarashi Group— one of Japan's wealthiest companies."

"I met him while in high school," she replied.

"Oh, I see… Wait, are you two dating? He seemed to be quite interested in you," said the manager, getting a devilish grin on his face. For some reason, Misaki's current manager reminded her a lot of a certain café manager she knew while in high school.

"No way!" she exclaimed. "I'm happily married with kids, so there'd be no way that I'd go out with a pervert like him. And, to be honest, I was quite surprised to see him myself. It has been a while since I last saw him.

When Misaki looked at her manager, she was surprised to see him sobbing. "Manager?" she asked, scratching her head, "Why are you crying?"

"A one-sided love! Oh, how tragic!" cried the manager, clutching his shirt.

"Eh… I think you're under a misunderstanding. He doesn't love me or anything; he just likes picking on me."

"Oh, a one-sided love with a clueless maiden! Even more tragic!" He placed his face into the palm of his hands and began crying even more loudly.

"Manager? I think I should go now. I have a lot of work back home, thanks for your hard work," said Misaki, backing away towards the door.

"Goodbye clueless maiden!" cried the manager (still sobbing).

Misaki walked out the front doors and breathed a sigh of relief. So many strange events, all in one night. Unlike the blazing heat of the day, the night was cold. Misaki shivered as she made her way down the sidewalk, folding her arms over her chest to protect herself from the bitter wind. This is why she hated the weather: it was so unpredictable. Why couldn't it just remain constant throughout the entire day? Why was it so deceptive? To her surprise she found herself being draped with some kind of heavy cloth. She looked at her shoulders and saw that someone had placed a jacket on her. Instantly warmth spread through her body and the coldness she felt disappeared. She turned around to see the source of her comfort and was greeted by a pair of golden eyes and a playful grin.

"Igarashi?" she asked.

**Okay, so for this chapter I decided to try and show the inner-thoughts of the characters. I don't know how it turned out, so please let me know. Comments are highly appreciated. If you have any questions about the plot, please ask and I will try to respond as soon as possible. Also, thank-you to everyone who submitted a review. Reading your comments really encourages me to continue writing. Thanks for reading! :D **


	5. The Twisted Strands

**Yay, another chapter! I'm so happy! A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, because seriously, you guys are awesome :') Please enjoy! **

**(Though I dream otherwise, I do not own Kaichou Wa Maid Sama)**

The Twisted Strands

As soon as Misaki saw him, her entire body stiffened and her hands clenched together to form tight fists. She moved into a defensive position, preparing herself for any attack Igarashi could throw at her. Except for one flickering lamp, the entire street was empty. There weren't any cars on the roads and the sidewalk was deserted, save them. All the houses on the street were dark, for their owners had fallen into deep slumber. Misaki's eyes narrowed as she stared at her perpetrator and raised her fists in preparation for assault. Igarashi, however, didn't seem to have anticipated her stance and his eyes were filled with surprise as he took a step back from Misaki.

"What are you doing?" she asked, suspicious.

"Nothing, you just looked cold, so I put gave you my jacket," he replied. His voice sounded earnest, but Misaki was reluctant to believe him, especially considering Iagrashi's deceptive nature.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," he replied. He smirked as he continued, "If I'd wanted to do anything else, don't you think you'd already be on the ground by now?"

"No," she said.

Igarashi was surprised. What did she mean 'no'? The last time he fought Misaki, his skills had enabled to him to defeat her and pin her onto the floor, completely at his mercy. The only reason she had escaped was because Usui had come running to the rescue.

"What?" he asked, bemused.

"If we fight, I will win," she said confidently. A small smile had formed on her lips.

"You may know Aikido, but my Judo is far superior." *

"Let's just see about that," she said, running towards him.

Misaki attempted to attack Igarashi, but was easily blocked and tossed aside. She rolled and managed to spring back onto her feet before he could attack her in her vulnerable state. She tried to attack him again, but was met with similar results. That was rather odd considering that the attacks Misaki was throwing at him should've been more than enough to knock him off his feet.

"I told you, there's no way you can win against me," said Igarashi.

Misaki attempted to attack him, but once again, her efforts were futile. This time, he used Misaki's momentum against her and caused her to lose her balance. Igarashi then pushed her onto the ground and pinned her arms above her head, just like he had done several years ago.

"See, I told you I'd win," said Igarashi, grinning.

Unfortunately, Igarashi wasn't aware of the fact that Misaki was prepared for situations like these. She used the combined strength of all her leg muscles and flung Igarashi off her and took advantage of the opening to push Igarashi onto his back and pin _his_ arms onto the ground. She smiled triumphantly as she looked at a very surprised Igarashi.

"You were saying?" she asked, clearly proud of her accomplished feat.

"I must say, I wasn't expected that," he replied, still shocked.

Igarashi got up and dusted small pebbles and dust off his clothes. Having spent years training himself in martial arts, Igarashi prided himself in being able to defeat anyone he fought. This was the first time he had ever been defeated by anyone, let alone a girl. He hadn't anticipated Misaki's skills to have improved so drastically.

"Wait," he said, before Misaki could walk off. "I'll walk you home."

* * *

The two walked side by side in silence. The only sounds that could be heard were that of the wind, whistling loudly as it passed through the streets. Birds did not sing their familiar songs decorated with melody and harmony, for they had all returned to their homes in the trees and had nestled down for the night.

"So, I thought you had some meeting you needed to attend," asked Misaki, in an attempt to break the silence.

"Yeah, but it got cancelled," said Igarashi, with his hands in his pocket. He turned towards her and asked, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I've been practicing how to counter Judo attacks. I've also been working out a lot recently because for some reason, Suzuna has a bunch of workout equipment at her house." Misaki turned towards him and asked, "Can you believe it, Suzanna of all people?" Misaki had been quite surprised when Suzuna had walked home one day followed by a small army of men carrying barbells of varying weights and a large workout bench.

"I don't know why she would enter a contest for that kind of stuff. I mean, the equipment takes up a huge chunk of their apartment and it's not like she or Shintani uses it anyway," said Misaki, flailing her arms into the air, unable to understand the mindset of her sister.

"Wait, you've been practicing how to counter Judo attacks?" asked Igarashi, suddenly very intrigued by the specificity of her training. "Could it be that…?" Igarashi began to grin.

Misaki's expression changed into irritation. "Yes, I've been training ever since that day you attacked me. I had no intention of ever being defeated by you again," she replied firmly.

"Wow Misaki, I never thought you'd hold me to such a high level of importance. You trained just to beat me?" he asked, rather pleased.

Misaki simply turned her gaze towards the ground, even more annoyed.

"I'll admit, your skills are slightly less mediocre now," said Igarashi.

"Hey, I beat you!" said Misaki, eyeing him angrily.

"Please Misaki, I let you win," said Igarashi.

"No you didn't!" cried Misaki defiantly.

Igarashi laughed. "OK, I suppose you did beat me. But, you must tell me, who taught you?"

Misaki returned her gaze towards the ground and a smile crept its way onto her face. She fondly replied," Usui."

Igarashi scowled at his name. Usui, Usui, Usui. Honestly, was that the only person she every thought of? Why was she so determined to spend every moment of her life thinking about a man that had practically abandoned her?

"So, Usui's in the military?" he asked, still scowling.

"Yeah."

"What's his position? Is he with the navy, the air force, the land force?"

"To be honest, I don't actually know." Misaki's face saddened as old memories were rekindled. "All I know is that he was ordered by the government to fight in the army. I don't even know if he's in Japan or out at sea."

"Oh, so he didn't join the military by choice?" he asked, his scowl disappearing; Igarashi hadn't been aware of that fact. Apparently, Usui hadn't exactly abandoned her after all.

"No, he was conscripted because of the Atlantican campaign against Japan."

"You said he hasn't contacted you in almost a year," said Igarashi, recalling their conversation at the café. "Have you considered that he might be dead?" Instantly, Igarashi bit his lip, regretting what he'd asked.

Misaki stopped. Her body became rigid as her muscles tensed up and her face took on a pale shade. A gust of wind blew, rustling the leaves in the trees and shaking the branches violently.

"He's not dead," said Misaki, firmly, as she turned towards Igarashi. "There's no way _Usui _would ever die because it isn't like he's a normal person or something. He's an alien from the planet pheromone, so he probably has some weird abilities to help keep him alive."

Igarashi smiled at Misaki's response; she always found a way to make him smile. But, despite the facade she wore, there was no fooling him. Although she spoke with great apparent confidence about Usui's survival, in her eyes, he could see that she was falling apart. She knew, deep down, that there was a good chance that Usui was dead. Misaki held firm to the hope that one day her family would be reunited, but she was not blind. She knew better than anyone else that even the strongest succumbed to the brutality humans called warfare.

Misaki began walking again and Igarashi followed behind her.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied.

"Aren't you supposed to be busy working on company stuff or something?" she asked.

"But company stuff is boring. Following Misaki is far more interesting and worthwhile," he replied. "Speaking of company, how do you know so much about me?" he asked mischievously. "I didn't know you were so interested in me."

"Wh-who would be interested in you?" said Misaki, stammering. "My manager told me!"

"Really now?" he said.

Misaki sighed and simply continued walking. Igarashi was even more annoying than she remembered. Despite being older, he had still managed to retain his most irritable traits. Although she preferred to walk home alone, she knew that nothing she said would get rid of or even deter Igarashi from following her. Also, having him around wasn't so bad, as she kind of liked the company.

They walked the rest of the way to Misaki's house without saying another word, but the silence was not ominous or awkward. When they reached her apartment she took off his jacket and returned it to him.

"Thanks." She walked up to the front door of the apartment where she proceeded to turn around and wave at Igrashi. "Bye," she said, smiling.

"Bye," he replied, waving back. Strange feelings crept through his body as he watched her disappear into the building. He couldn't understand why he felt the way he did. Although he was regarded as a manipulative and sly individual by his coworkers and employees, he wasn't hated by them. They liked working with Igarashi who, despite what one would think, was a considerate person that possessed true leadership skills. However, what Igarashi felt at that moment would alter even their views of him. He was happy. The main reason he was happy was, of course, that he had been reunited with Misaki. But, the other reason he was happy was because there was a chance that Usui wouldn't be returning to Misaki's life.

* * *

The tides do not cease to move in and out, nor do the hands of a clock stop ticking. The darkness of the night continues to broken by the rays of the sun, forcing their ways above the horizon and streaking the sky with shades of gold and red. The daylight continues to be overtaken by the shadow of the night, its rays unable to illuminate the sky as the sun dips below the horizon. This cycle continues to exist day after day and night after night. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months.

As Misaki exited the café, she looked to the street up ahead. He was waiting for her, as usual.

It had been several months since Misaki had reacquainted herself with Igarashi. He had taken it upon himself to visit the café every day and walk her home every night. The two would talk about their personal lives: the things they liked to do, their families and the current states of their lives. They would talk about the goals they once had and how they had failed to achieve them. They would also talk about the goals they had achieved and how they enjoyed the sweet fruits of their success. Each had dreams for the future and found comfort in talking about their plans for success, taking both criticism and advice in their ways from each other. Igarashi and Misaki found happiness talking for a few minutes with each other, every day, and looked forward to their meetings. In simply having each other, they found contentment in being able to share their daily excursions and adventures. If one should inquire about the nature of their relationship, let it be said to him/her that the author of this fan fiction is uncertain. One could call it friendship, but then again, Igarashi loved Misaki. As for Misaki, her views towards Igarashi were rather hazy and unclear. It was definite that she now viewed him as a friend, but not in the same way as Sakura and Shizuko. Perhaps she had some feelings of love for him, or perhaps she didn't. The author leaves this in the hands of the reader to infer.

"I thought I told you not to wait around for me, anymore" she said. "The weather's staring to get really cold now and I don't want you catching a cold."

"It seems that Misaki has grown fond of me, considering how concerned she is about my health," said Igarashi, teasingly, walking up to her.

"Shut up!" said Misaki, laughing.

As the two walked down the sidewalk, Igarashi asked Misaki, "So, how has your day been so far?"

"Oh, you know, same as always," she replied, exhaling deeply. "Busy."

"Can't you just get a job at some other place? You know, some place less demanding?"

"Nah. To be honest, I don't really mind my job at the café. I'll admit, I do spend the whole day running around, but it's not that bad and the pay's pretty good."

"Yeah, but with your talents you could easily find a high-paying job elsewhere where there's less stress."

"I guess, but I really like the café atmosphere."

"Really?" he asked. "How so?"

"Well, everyone at the café: the customers, the employees and the manager are all so nice to me."

"Yeah, but people who work in offices aren't mean either," noted Igarashi.

"But working in an office, sitting behind a cubicle all day is so different. The café has this incomparable air of friendliness to it."

"What an interesting person," said Igarashi.

Misaki rolled eyes.

As they turned a corner, Misaki's phone began ringing.

"Sorry," said Misaki, ruffling through her purse in search of her cellphone. When she finally found it, she looked at the caller ID and discovered that it was Suzuna who'd called her.

"Hey, what's up Su—"

"Misaki!" said Suzuna, crying on the other side of the phone. Misaki was quite surprised to see her sister in such a state, as Suzuna wasn't one to ever be so distraught about anything.

Worry and panic spread through Misaki as she desperately asked, "What is it? Are you hurt? Is Shintani alright?"

"It's Usui! He's- he's- he's dead!" stammered Suzuna before breaking into a fit of sobs.

Misaki was in complete disbelief to what she heard. A great pain began to emerge in her chest as she began to register the words that'd been uttered through the phone. Who ever thought that a few words could turn your whole world upside down? Usui was gone. Never again would he walk through the front door of their house, or lock her into his tight embrace. She would never see his sparkling emerald-green eyes or his radiant smile that could brighten up her entire day. His absence from her life created a dark void in her heart, one that could never be filled again. To her, it felt as though the entire weight of the world had come crashing down upon her. Misaki sank down to her knees, unable to bear the burden of the news. Her eyes were wide with complete and utter horror and her incapability of being able to bear the news of the death of her husband, her guardian and her best friend. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she clutched the phone in her hand and then, they began to flow uncontrollably.

"Misaki!" shouted Igarashi rushing over to her side. He had never seen in her such a state before and was uncertain about what to do. "What happened?" he asked, desperation and panic in his eyes.

She didn't respond immediately, but instead continued to cry before choking out, "Usui, he's- he's..." Before she could finish, however, she began to cry again. She hadn't received the opportunity to see Usui, or even hear his calm, soothing voice in almost a year and that, now coupled with his death, was intolerable for her. Igarashi didn't need her to finish, for he was already certain of what'd happened. He simply bent down and pulled her into his arms. The two sat like that for what felt like a long time, until Misaki's crying had levelled down into a quiet sob.

Igarashi took out his phone, his face solemn and quickly dialled a number on the keypad. "Yeah, I'm near the café. Please come quickly." He snapped the phone shut and held Misaki until his car arrived. He helped Misaki get up and, putting one arm around her shoulder, carefully helped her into the car. "Please take us to - (Misaki's address)," he told the driver.

As they drove, they passed by streetlights and people walking about, each occupied with his/her own affairs. They passed by people laughing and people smiling, all of them completely unaware of the tragedies that had befallen others. They displayed very typical human behaviour. Even while another person's world fell apart, they could continue on with their merry lives as if nothing had ever happened.

All the while Igarashi kept Misaki close to him, with her face buried into his chest and his hand gently patting the top of her head. He slowly removed her phone from her trembling hand and searched for Suzuna's number. "Suzuna," he said into the phone after calling her. "I'm bringing Misaki in my car. Please wait for her downstairs." He opened Misaki's bag to put her phone away, when he came across a photo taped onto one the bag's inner sides. It was a picture of Misaki, Usui and their son Yue. He picked it up and looked at it with longing eyes: how he wished that it had been his picture instead of Usui's.

The car stopped in front of Misaki's apartment and its door was opened by a weeping Suzuna.

"Oh Misaki!" she cried, pulling her sister outside. "Thank you Igarashi," she said, nodding her head in his direction. Igarashi nodded back.

Igarashi watched as Suzuna helped Misaki walk into the apartment and disappear inside. Misaki had been in her weakest state, one in which anyone could seize the opportunity to do one's bidding. Igarashi knew that if he chose to take advantage of the situation, there was a good chance that he might've been able to take Usui's place. Misaki was distraught, irrational and in need of someone to give her love and security, things that Igarashi could provide. However, something stopped him from doing so. He was consumed with emotions mixed with compositions of both sorrow for her loss as well as happiness. Yes, as immoral as it sounded, Igarashi was slightly happy that Usui had died, for Usui's absence left the door open for him. But, he couldn't bring himself to commit such an act. The idea of taking advantage of anyone in that state, particularly someone he cared for and loved so much, was out of the question. Besides, no matter what happened or what Igarashi did for her, Misaki would always love Usui. Igarashi closed his eyes before turning around in the direction of Misaki's apartment.

"Good bye Misaki," he whispered, before disappearing into the night. Misaki never heard from him again.

**Oh my! Whatever shall happen next? I hope to be able to update next week. Thanks for reading! Please review with any comments or criticism you may have (I'll be very happy if you do :D)!  
**

_***Note that in chapter 9 of the manga Misaki fought Igarashi using Aikido, but he used Judo and won. **_


	6. The Raven

**So for this fan fiction, I'm just going to exclude Misaki/Suzuna's dad, just because it would make things really complicated to try and squeeze him in now. Thank you sooooooooo much to everyone who reviewed, reading your comments really makes my day. :') Please enjoy! **

**(I owned Kaichou Wa Maid Sama. Then, I woke up and realized it was just a dream) **

The Raven

Misaki looked out the window. The world outside was being hammered away by the fierce downpour of millions of droplets of water, falling swiftly from the sky. The droplets beat against the eaves of the houses and the drooping branches of the barren trees. Though it was day, the thought of such being the time would never cross the mind of anyone who gazed outside. The impregnable dark clouds swallowed every last bit of sunlight, preventing even a single ray from escaping to brighten the landscape below.

Misaki closed her eyes and listened to the pitter patter of the rain drops hitting the car window; the sound soothed her and helped to bring calmness into her otherwise chaos engulfed mind. It had been only two weeks ago that she had come to know that her husband, Usui, was no more. She had cried and cried until her tear ducts seemed to have had dried out, for no more tears emerged. As she sat in the seat, huddled up against the side of the door, she thought of him. Although she wished for nothing more than to be able to allow her emotions to flow from her soul, and to rid herself of the tears she was holding back, she didn't. She had to be strong.

If she, a grown woman, broke apart like a fragile china doll, how was her son to handle the news? Yue was just a child and seeing his mother in such grief would surely cause him to start crying. True, the news of his father's death would bring tears to the young toddler's eyes, but it would certainly bring more tears if he saw Misaki crying. She had to put up a brave front for him, otherwise the broken china doll she had transformed into would break even more.

"How much further?" asked Suzuna, turning towards Shintani. Despite being within the safe confines of Hokkaido, Suzuna was evidently quite nervous. Ever since she had been informed by the captain of Usui's squadron of his untimely death, she had adopted a nervous habit of playing with her hair. She twirled, spun and even pulled her black hair now discoloured by strands of white.

"Suzuna, calm down. We're pretty close; it's only about 30 km away," said Shintani from the driver's seat, attempting to sound calm. However, even Shintani, someone who one would consider composed, couldn't help but show traces of his nervousness. Then again, how could he not? Losing a close family member, especially one whom you used to spend time with and got along well with, could rattle even the strongest of people.

Everyone in the car was shaken. Part of their nervousness stemmed from the fear of losing their own lives, but the brunt of it came from the fear of losing more family, especially considering just who they stood to lose. Don't get me wrong, the loss of any family, even family one despises is painful. However, losing family that you cherish and hold so dearly to your heart— now that's a whole new story. Minako had always been there for them: her wisdom and kindness had helped to guide them out of the toughest of situations. She had borne Misaki and Suzuna for nine agonizing months, each, and to top it off had taken care of them in the absence of her husband. She had worked two jobs to support the two, yet she didn't show even the slightest discontentment or impatience. For Shintani, Minako had cared for him as though he was one of her own children. After moving away from his grandparents, Minako had invited him to dinner at her house countless times and managed to make him feel welcome and valued.

As for Yue, losing him would absolutely destroy not only Misaki, but also Shintani and Suzuna as well. If one considers an arch, a shape strong enough to support the burden of enormous downwards forces, one must keep in mind that if one removes it keystone, the entire arch would collapse. Yue served a similar role in the family. He was the joy in all three of their lives. Before the war, Yue would spend countless hours with the three, playing games with them and talking with them. It was true that he was only a toddler and at his age he wasn't able to grasp many of the things they would speak about, but his efforts in trying to understand and the innocent comments he would make could make their days. The way in which he would run up to any of three upon seeing them and hug them lit up their worlds. If Yue died, parts of each of them would perish along with him.

That's why Misaki, Suzuna and Shintani had decided to come to Hokkaido. It had been a hasty decision, but it was a decision there had been little deliberation in making. They had not seen Minako or Yue in over a year and, with the loss of Usui, they simply couldn't bear not seeing them any longer. They needed to physically see the two in order to bring their minds to piece, for simply hearing voices on the phone wasn't enough.

"Guys, we're at the checkpoint," said Shintani, referring to a blockade on the road up ahead. Ever since the war, large quantities of refugees had come swarming into the island. In an attempt to control the crowds, the government had set up checkpoints to keep track of the refugees in a large camp on the northern portion of the island. The reason for doing so was because not everyone was eligible to take shelter in the camp. Only the elderly and the young were allowed, while the rest of the population was expected to remain in the cities, otherwise the country's factories and industries would cease to exist and Japan would fall deeper into recession.

They came to a line-up of cars waiting behind a drive through counter. There were so many cars: families of victims of the war. In accordance to law, families from the mainland were only allowed to visit if a family member fighting in the war was killed. Humans could be so cruel. As they sat waiting in the car, watching the windshield wiper rushing back and forth to remove the raindrops concealing their view, a knock came on the window.

Suzuna rolled down her window and saw a uniformed man holding an umbrella.

"Good evening," he said.

"Hello," replied Suzuna.

"Are you planning on crossing into the refugee camp?" he asked, pointing towards the blockade.

"Yes, we have some family we wanted to visit," said Suzuna.

"Are you aware that you aren't allowed to visit unless another family member has died fighting in the war?" he asked.

"Yes, my sister's husband recently passed away," replied Suzuna, turning towards Misaki. Misaki sat on the far side of the car, behind Shintani. It hurt Suzuna to look at Misaki: her face showed no emotion and her skin seemed to have lost the little colour it had before she heard of Usui's death. She still sat in the corner, staring blankly outside the window.

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss," replied the man, slightly lowering his head. "I'm afraid the crossing is going to be closing for the day. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

"I see. Do you know of any place we could spend the night?" asked Suzuna.

"Yes, there's a hotel nearby at - (hotel address). The crossing opens at 11:00 tomorrow morning."

"Thank you officer," said Suzuna. She rolled up her window as she watched the man walk up to the car behind them and knock on its window. It felt odd seeing people like him. Despite the government's laws, some people had managed to escape the clutches of conscription. She knew that people who had money could easily bribe their way out of doing military service, but what about people like him? Judging by his job, it didn't appear that he was from a wealthy family, so how had he managed to land himself a position in the safety of Hokkaido? Perhaps the odds had simply been in his favour.

As the car drove onto the main road, she looked at Shintani. Ever since the accident, he had been forced into the confines of a wheel chair, never able to walk again. Although she was happy that he hadn't been ordered to do military service, she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that her husband was safe while Misaki's was lying in the murky depths of someplace far out at sea. What made Suzuna feel especially guilty was the fact that, unlike her, Misaki had a son. How was Yue going to handle the news of his father's death? He was so young and his heart was so small.

When they arrived at the hotel, Misaki and Suzuna got out of the car. Misaki retrieved Shintani's wheelchair from the trunk and brought it over to the driver's side while Suzuna helped him sit down in it.

They checked into a two bed suite. Suzuna and Shintani would share one bed while Misaki would have the other to herself. Considering the delicate psychological state of each of them, it would've been unwise of them to stay in separate rooms because they needed each other for strength.

"Hey, what do you guys want to eat?" asked Shintani, reading the hotel menu.

"Nothing from this place," said Suzuna, shaking her head. "The stuff here is way overpriced."

"Yeah, but it looks super good," he insisted, pouting slightly. He attempted to make Suzuna agree with him by staring at her with his irresistible 'puppy dog eyes'.

"Shintani!" cried Suzuna, quickly turning away from him. She wasn't going to let him trick her again. "Misaki, tell Shintani everything here is way too expensive."

"Misaki, tell Suzuna that it's worth it!" said Shintani, turning to look at Misaki.

Misaki sighed. She was sitting by a chair next to the window, still captivated by the world outside. Clouds were such strange entities. They could bring forth calamities in the form of blizzards and floods, yet they could bring the dead earth back to life when they brought forth rain. She turned her gaze from the window and looked at her family. There was no point in continuing to be grievous and sorrowful: she still her sister, her brother-in-law, her mother and her son. She wasn't going to drag them down by emanating an aura of depression.

"Shintani," she said, a small smile forming upon her lips. "Although they may work on Suzuna, those eyes won't work on me."

Shintani hung his head and put the menu away. "Alright…"

Suzuna looked pleased that things had gone her way.

Misaki laughed, "It's okay. There's a fast food place nearby and I'm sure it's food is just as good."

Shintani and Suzuna were happy to see Misaki smiling and laughing again. They went down to the hotel entrance and stood, watching the rain continue to fall from the heavens.

"Come on guys!" shouted Misaki, suddenly running out into the rain.

"Misaki, you're going to catch a cold!" cried Suzuna, standing next to Shintani. Despite the lengthy packing process they had undertaken, none of them had remembered to bring an umbrella.

"Oh come on! The restaurant is just over there!" said Misaki, pointing towards a little shop across the street.

"Shintani!" cried Suzuna, as Shintani swiftly rolled his wheelchair to join Misaki in the rain. The two laughed at Suzuna's clear discontent. "We could've just taken a cab or something!"

"But it's way more fun this way! Come on Suzuna," he said gesturing for her to join them.

"You guys!" cried Suzuna, laughing and placing her hands above her head to form a makeshift umbrella. She ran up to them and the three quickly made their way to the restaurant across the street.

* * *

"What will you be having this evening?" asked a waiter, clicking on the end of his pen.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure," said Shintani, looking through the menu. "What're you guys having?"

As Misaki scanned through the menu she came across an item that brought back memories of working in Maid Latte. "I'll have the omelette rice," she said.

Although it brought back memories of Usui and all the great times they had spent together, and reminded her that such days had ceased to exist again, the omelette rice brought her hope. It reminded her that happier times had once existed in her life and that there was a chance that happiness could exist once again. True, Usui wouldn't be a part of the future that lay ahead, but she still had Yue, Suzuna, Shintani and Minako.

"They have that here?" asked a rather surprised Shintani. "In that case, I'll have some too."

"Same. I haven't had that since I was high school," said Suzuna excitedly.

When the waiter arrived with three plates of steaming omelette rice, the three couldn't suppress the salivation that formed in their mouths. They were famished. Over the past two weeks, it seemed that the world had stopped spinning for them. Misaki had taken a leave of absence from the café while Suzuna had taken a break from teaching to stay home with Misaki. Their regular eating patterns had been completely disestablished and replaced by sporadic meals composed of small morsels of food. Coming to Hokkaido seemed to have breathed the life back into them.

"_Breaking news," _said a reporter from a television in the restaurant. All chatter in the store stopped as everyone turned their attention towards the news bulletin. Everyone was eager to learn of the latest developments on the war, and many got up from their seats to gather around the small screen near the front of the store.

"_According to the latest reports released by the Japanese military, the Atlantican troops are drawing back. I repeat: the Atlantican troops are drawing back!" _

Before she could finish, the whole store burst into cheer. People began jumping up and down, couples kissed each other and young children clapped their hands together out of joy. It was finally over. The war that had torn their lives apart for over a year was finally coming to an end. Even the reporter seemed to have a difficult time holding back her contentment and excitement about the news, for tears of joy were falling from eyes and she was smiling from ear to ear.

"_Excuse me," _she said, coughing slightly. The restaurant returned turned silent once more. _"Atlantican ships are turning around and heading back in the direction of Atlantica. The Japanese government has been attempting to contact Atlantican officials to try and secure a treaty with them to prevent future outbreaks of war. Starting from tomorrow, troops will be returning home. The prime minister has called for this day to be henceforth known as a national day of celebration as well as remembrance."_

The news women's mood shifted from joy to solemnity. _"Though we are celebrating the end of the war, we must never forget those who have sacrificed their lives for us. Their struggles and toils are the reason we have peace today. Let us always keep their memories within our hearts. Thank you and good night." _

The television was switched off and the whole store remained silent for a few moments after that. Everyone's thoughts went out to the family and friends they had lost in the war, as they prayed for them to be able to rest in peace. They would never forget.

"So, it seems that Atlantican troops are drawing back," said Shintani finishing up his meal.

"I can't believe that it'll all be over soon," said Suzuna excitedly.

"Soon the refugees will be able to return to the mainland and everything will go back to normal," said Shintani. "Minako and Yue will finally be able to come home."

"It's all thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of the soldiers," said Suzuna.

"Yeah," said Misaki, smiling slightly. Though she missed Usui, she knew that his sacrifice had helped save the lives of countless others.

Outside, it had stopped raining and the air was filled with a peaceful silence. The wind had died down and glimpses of the sunset could be seen through the parting clouds. A black raven gathered its wings as it perched itself atop a fence. Then, it opened its beak and let out a terrific screech, its crow piercing the silence.

**A raven amidst a seemingly happy ending? How suspicious. What will happen next? Please give me any recommendations, criticisms and/or comments you have (I'll be really happy if you do :D) Thanks for reading! **


	7. The Rising Sun

**Hey Guys! Sorry it took so long to finish, but I've been so busy with school. A big thank-you to everyone who reviewed! Reading your reviews really encourages me to continue writing :'). Please enjoy!**

**[I still don't own Kaichou Wa Maid Sama :'( ] **

The Rising Sun

They say that happiness should be enjoyed as much as it can be when it rests within one's possession. These people speak wise words, for such a treasure does not stay within one's grasp forever. In times nearby, one will awaken to helplessly finding one's most valued treasure slipping away, fading into a distant memory.

Misaki awoke to the sound of the city's sirens. They wailed like a Banshee telling them of impending death. Unfortunately, for many who heard the cry they did not hear it as a warning, but rather as a funeral bell.

"Misaki!" cried Suzuna, "the city's under attack!"

Misaki jumped out of bed and ran to the window. The day had not broken and the shadow of night still remained casted upon the land, but even in the darkness, Misaki could see the chaos. The streets were full of people running, crying, screaming. What had been streets full of celebration and cheer yesterday, had transformed into a nightmare.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here!" cried Shintani, already at the door.

"We need to go to the nearest shelter!" said Suzuna. She ripped out a map from her purse and, after studying briefly, said, "There's one just around the block!"

The three raced downstairs and down the street. They ran amongst the crown, heading towards the shelter, but once they reached it, they found it to be inaccessible.

Misaki pulled on the door of the building labelled 'bomb shelter', but the door wouldn't budge. She banged on the door, hoping someone would hear their cry for help, but no one answered.

"What's wrong? Why won't they let us in?" asked a horrified Suzuna.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look like anyone's interested in this place," said Shintani, referring to the crowd. To their surprise, everyone ran past the shelter, acting as if it didn't exist.

Misaki grabbed the arm of a man running by. When he turned to face them, the only thing they saw in his eyes was terror. His hand was wet with sweat and trembled violently. He tried to pull free, but Misaki held firm.

"What's going on, why isn't anyone going into the shelter?" she asked.

"Wh-why would we go into shelters?" He stammered.

"What do you mean?" asked Misaki, confused, "a shelter is the safest place to be during an air raid."

"Th-this isn't an air raid! The Atlanticans are here! On Hokkaido!" he screamed, before finally yanking free of Misaki's grip and running off into the crowd.

Misaki's heart skipped a beat as she came to a dreadful realization. The Atlanticans were attacking the refugee camp. Those animals had decided to attack the weak in order to pave way to their invasion of Japan. The cities were well fortified and armed with anti-aircraft weapons, but the refugee camp? It was nothing but a sea of temporary homes barely able to withstand the elements. She felt sick at the treachery of the Atlanticans, but this was no time to be weak. Her family was in danger.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialled her mother's number. The phone rang and rang, finally being answered by, "_We're sorry, your call was not answered. Please leave a message after the beep._"

"Arrh!" cried out a frustrated Misaki. "Shintani, we need to get to your car!"

"What's wrong Misaki?" asked Suzuna.

"It's mom and Yue. I think they're in trouble," said Misaki, gritting her teeth.

"My car is still back at the hotel," said Shintani.

"Give me your keys," said Misaki.

"What?" asked Shintani, confused.

"Shintani, you need to stay here. Follow the crowd. Suzuna and I will take care of this."

"No way, I'm going too," said Shintani, beginning to move in the direction of the hotel. However, Suzuna stepped in front of him and spread her arms out, blocking his way.

"Move over Suzuna," he said, angrily.

"No. I'm not letting you go. You're in a wheel chair, you'll die out there!"

"But—"

"Shintani, Suzuna is right. If the Atlanticans really are on the island, there's no way you'd be able to survive if we had to run from them," said Misaki.

"Fine," he replied. He raised his hands and placed them on Suzuna's cheeks. He pulled her down to his level and pressed his lips against hers. "Be safe," he told her.

"I will," she replied.

"Misaki, take care of Suzuna for me," said Shintani. He tossed his keys into Misaki's open hands and disappeared into the crowd.

"Come on Suzuna," said Misaki, grabbing her sister's hand and pulling her towards the hotel.

The way back to the hotel was a difficult one. As they ran, they collided with distraught people who seemed not to notice them coming. The only thing on the minds of these people was escape. Once they finally reached the hotel, Misaki jumped into the driver's seat and Suzuna in the seat besides hers. Misaki pressed hard on the accelerator, hoping to reach Yue and her mother before it was too late.

The road they used was empty. As they travelled in the direction of the refugee camp, the two watched the line-up of cars on the adjacent lane. There was no movement as large numbers of cars were packed into the same lane, the destination the same for everyone: south.

As they neared the checkpoint, they began to hear the distant rumble of gunfire. The sound only increased as they drew nearer and nearer to the fighting. Panic began to spread within them. Were Yue and Minako still safe? Were they still alive? Such questions seemed to eat away at them, taking their hope and replacing it fear.

When they reached the checkpoint and attempted to pass through the gate, they found themselves barred out.

"What do you mean we can't get though?" asked an enraged Misaki.

"I'm sorry miss, but as you can clearly see, the checkpoint is closed," replied a uniformed woman firmly.

"But my family, they're still in there!"

"I'm sure your family is fine. The Japanese military is already here."

"But—"

"Misaki," said Suzuna, "they're not going to let us through no matter what we say."

"But Yue and mom, they're—" Misaki was practically in tears at this point.

"We've simply got to force our way through," cut in Suzuna.

A smile crept its way onto Misaki's face. Perspiration began to gather on the checkpoint officer's face as she realized what Suzuna was implying. "You wouldn't—" she began.

"Oh, but I would," said Misaki defiantly.

Misaki pulled the car back a little, before she stopped and floored the acceleration pedal.

"Ahhhhhhh!" screamed the officer, as the car crashed through the gate and sent broken fragments of the structure flying everywhere.

"Thank-you officer," said Misaki, saluting the terrified woman. She then sped off towards the camp.

As they approached the address of her mother's residence, the destruction around them increased. They saw more and more fires, more and more houses reduced, and more and more bodies. People dressed in military uniform could be seen carrying stretchers covered in white cloths. There were officers digging mangled and disfigured pieces of flesh out of the rubble of homes. The high hopes they had begun their journey with was being quickly depleted.

The streets were filled with scores of uniformed men holding guns and marching in unison towards the north. In the skies, sleek, black Japanese aircraft raced, firing bullets at an unseen enemy far ahead.

Something felt out of place. Despite seeing the clear destruction left by the Atlanticans, Msaki had not yet seen even one Atlantican. She stopped by a group of Japanese military officers and rolled down her window.

"Excuse me, but where are the Atlanticans?" she asked.

"It scares me to say this, but we don't know," he replied, his face grim.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they came early in the morning and did an air raid— we saw their airplanes. But, according to the costal defence, Altantican ships were seen unloading soldiers onto the island. However, I've yet to see one."

"Thank you officer," said Misaki, rolling up her window. She continued driving, but an unsettling feeling had developed within her. Where were the Atlanticans?

What she saw next jolted her even more. Initially, the general trend had been that as she travelled further northward, the level of destruction increased. However, as she looked ahead, she saw quite the opposite. It seemed that the destruction just suddenly stopped. There were no more homes in rubble, just ordinary looking homes simply standing there unscathed.

She drove until she reached her mother's address. Misaki and Suzuna got out of the car and knocked hesitantly on the door. An eerie silence filled the deserted streets.

The door opened swiftly and hands from within the house flew out and grabbed the two. They were yanked into a dark foyer.

"What are you two doing here?" a voiced hissed.

"What do you mean? We came to rescue you," Misaki whispered back. The voice was that of her mother. Though the curtains were drawn and the lights were turned off, she could see Minako sitting on the floor, huddled closely with Yue, who was holding his stuffed rabbit tightly in his arms.

Upon seeing her son, she whispered, "Yue!"

Her son's face lit up at the sight of his mother. They had been separated for such a long time, but now, they had been reunited.

"Mommy!" he said, running up to his overjoyed mother and giving her a great big hug.

"You two should not have come," Minako whispered grimly.

"What do you mean?" asked Suzuna, confused.

"You two are in grave danger."

"But you two were in danger, so we came to rescue you. I called you on your cell phone, but you didn't pick up," said Misaki, putting Yue in her lap. In the year that they'd been apart, he had grown up so much. His blonde hair and hazel-brown eyes gleamed in the little light that managed to pass through the narrow opening left by the drawn curtains.

"Yes, because I was too scared to. I turned off my cell phone so that it wouldn't make any noise. I didn't want to talk on it because doing so might draw their attention."

"Whose attention?" asked Misaki.

"The Atlanticans!"

"I don't understand. We've driven all this way and we haven't seen even one Atlantican," said Misaki.

"That's because they're hiding in the houses."

Misaki's blood turned cold as she put the pieces of the puzzle together. It all made sense now: the sudden stop in destructed houses, the missing Atlanticans. The Atlanticans were hiding in the houses, waiting for the Japanese military to show up so that they could ambush them. She felt sick thinking about the treachery. Did they lack a sense of morals and ethics? What kind of twisted plot was this?

"After the air raids stopped, I was leaving the house when I saw them running into the empty houses. I rushed back inside. Fortunately, it didn't appear as though they'd seen me."

Misaki and Suzuna had only been inches away from death. The houses which they had so naively assumed to be empty had been crawling with Atlantican troops. It was a miracle that hadn't simply been killed.

"Wait, so how are we still alive, then? We passed by so many houses, so why didn't the Atlanticans just kill us?"

"They wanted to, but probably didn't so as to avoid drawing attention. Ambush relies on the element of surprise and if they had tried to shoot you, it would've given them away. They didn't want to compromise their entire plan for two girls."

In the distance, they could hear the sound of approaching tanks and marching men.

"The troops, they're walking right into the trap!" cried Suzuna, her eyes welling up with tears.

Minako began to cry. Her family had suffered so much from the war and she had been so happy when she heard the news of its end. Thinking about the deception and the sheer animalistic behaviour exhibited by the Atlanticans overwhelmed her. She simply couldn't stand thinking about the loss of more lives.

Then, it happened. It was though the beast of chaos had managed to escape from the depths of the underworld and was wreaking havoc on the earth above. Their greatest fears and worst nightmares came to life, right before them. Gunfire erupted as Atlantican soldiers attacked the completely unsuspecting Japanese troops, who were completely surprised by the tactic and quickly brought down.

From the confines of the foyer they could hear grenades being thrown and machine guns being fired. When one plays a computer game, one cannot conceive the atrocious nature of such warfare. The characters die, but are resurrected by the multiple lives they have. In real life, however, no such thing exists. Young and old men alike were walking straight into their destruction, being peppered with bullets and blown up into bits and pieces.

There are many who say that war can be fought in a humane manner. To those people it should be said: what is humane about killing someone? The terror experienced by soldiers as they see their lives flash before them cannot be comprehended by a few bureaucrats sitting around a table and discussing matters of which they have no knowledge.

The four screamed as the walls of the house was hammered by bullets.

"We've got to get out of here!" cried Suzuna.

"No way, it's much safer in here!" said Minako.

Just then, a grenade caused one of the walls of the house to collapse, exposing them to fighting outside.

"Fine, but let's split up! If we go together, there's a higher chance we'll get targeted. Misaki, you take Yue and Suzuna. I'll go by myself," said Mianko. She handed Misaki a gun and gave Suzuna a syringe containing a clear liquid. "When the time comes, you'll know what it's for," she told Suzuna.

The two groups separated and went in their opposite directions. Misaki grabbed Yue's hand and ran. The three dodged bullets and leaped over broken glass and wall remnants. To their good fortune, they managed to avoid direct contact with any enemy soldiers the entire time. Misaki began to feel optimistic about the outcomes of the day.

They ran through a little park. It had once been used by children seeking to enjoy themselves and pass time. Though the sun had not risen, some of its rays managed to peek over the horizon. In the light, they could see what remained of the park. The swings had fallen from the structure that once held them in place, while the jungle gym was now just a mess of broken, jagged metal sticking out of place.

As they ran by a pond, Yue suddenly stopped and said, "Mommy?"

"What is it?" asked Misaki. When she turned around, what she saw made her let go if his hand and stop dead in her tracks. The shirt Yue had been wearing was soaked in blood. He looked down at the bloody mess that now covered his body. Then, he swayed and fell over into the pond. The clear water was quickly replaced by a crimson colour. Yue's stuffed rabbit lay at the pond's edge, its hand in the water. The purple rabbit was stained bright red.

"Yue!" cried Misaki rushing over to the pond. Yue's body continued to float away towards its centre. Misaki tried to swim after him, but Suzuna grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!" screamed Misaki, trying to wrestle out of Suzuna's grip. Tears were pouring out of her eyes as she tried desperately to reach her son.

She felt a sharp stab in her arm. She looked over to see a crying Suzuna pushing the end of a syringe and forcing a chemical into Misaki's body. Then, the world began to spin and Misaki blacked out.

* * *

When Misaki opened her eyes, she awoke to see Shintani, Minako and Suzuna standing around her. Their faces, wet with tears, seemed to darken upon seeing Misaki wake up.

"Where's Yue?" asked Misaki, getting up and looking around for her son.

Suzuna broke into tears and buried her face into Shintani chest. Shintani encircled his arms around her and began crying as well.

"Misaki, he's dead," said Mianko.

Memory of the events came crashing back down on her all at once. For a few moments she had lived in an ignorant bliss, free from the harsh reality of her son's fate. Yue was dead. Misaki's world was over. When a child is born, one's whole world changes. Suddenly, its happiness is above one's own, its well-being is above one's own, and its life is above that of one's own. Thus, when the child is suddenly stolen away before it has even had the chance to live, it's only natural that one feels as if one's world has been destroyed.

As Misaki broke down into a fit of tears, sobbing and screaming as if she had lost her mind, she couldn't help but wish she had been in his place. It should have been him that lived and it should have been her that died.

Mianko came and pulled into Misaki into her arms, but such actions did not bring her comfort. How could they when the only thing she wanted at the time is was for her son back? A simple embrace does not serve any real purpose, even if it is well intended. The only thing that could bring Misaki comfort at that time was death. Misaki wanted to die. She had no reason to live anymore. She had lost her husband and her son, the two most important people in her life. What reason did she have to live anymore?

The next day, the Atlantican-Japanese war came to an end. Upon learning of the treachery of the Atlanticans and how they had targeted a helpless refugee camp and had slaughtered thousands of Japanese soldiers in a tasteless ambush, the rest of the world decided to finally lend a hand. The Confederated States of Asia, the European Union, the African Empire and Middle Eastern League, decided to finally send their own troops to aid the Japanese. The union of the entire world against Atlantica created an army even the Atlanticans could not withstand. Thus, they withdrew and signed a peace-treaty with Japan.

* * *

They say that time heals all wounds. To people who say such a ridiculous statement, let them challenge themselves to try and heal from the loss of a child. They can never comprehend what it is like to lose the most precious thing in the world. True, as time passed Misaki felt less and less heartbroken at her loss, but she never did forget. She spent several weeks after coming home from Hokkaido as if she was a lifeless mass. She didn't eat or drink from her own will and spent all her time silently sitting on the windowsill staring blankly out the window. However, in time, she began to talk again and soon returned to work. At first she had sporadic emotional break downs whenever she saw children that even remotely resembled Yue, but even those soon stopped. She never forgot him, though. His smile, his eyes— she would always remember him and miss him. Part of her soul had died and it would never be brought back to life.

In many respects, it can be said that Misaki returned to normal. She laughed, smiled and experienced happiness, even if her life was devoid of Yue. But, fate is cruel and such happiness did not last long.

Misaki had stopped by the market after finishing work, one day. She was going to treat Shintani and Suzuna to her infamous rice balls. Fortunately, they were infamous because they tasted great, not because they looked like bowling balls. As she walked past various stalls, something caught her eye. From amongst the crowd, she saw blonde hair. She saw many people who had dyed their hair blonde, so it wasn't that blonde hair was uncommon. What caught her attention was the fact that it was distinctly, naturally blonde.

Her heart began racing and she felt foolish for making it do so. There was no way that man was Usui because Usui was dead. That was probably just some guy who happened to have blonde hair. It wasn't as though there was only one person in the world who had blonde hair. She was about to continue on with her shopping, when the man turned around. He looked at her, then turned back around and walked off as if he had never seen her.

The man was Usui.

**OM! What's going on? :O What will happen next? I hope to be able to update soon. Thanks for reading and please review! **


	8. Fallen Angel

**Hi guys! I've finally finished the story and now I'm sad :(. Please enjoy this final chapter! **

**(Though I want to, I still don't own the awesomeness called Kaichou Wa Maid Sama) **

Fallen Angel

Misaki ran through the crowd, bumping into people and pushing people aside, trying desperately to reach the man she had seen. She invited a volley of annoyed faces and insults directed at her, but she didn't care because the only thing on her mind at that moment was him. She knew that there was a high chance she had simply hallucinated, a consequence of her loneliness and want. It seemed that her mind and body had reacted on impulse, for not once did she even think about chasing after the man. Her legs had simply begun to move under her and her eyes narrowed in on her target. The simple possibility that Usui was still alive caused her to swell up with happiness.

She chased Usui to the end of the market. Once she had finally broken out of the swarm of people, she stopped to catch her breath while looking towards the riverfront. Small waves crashed against a pier where she saw him. Although it was night, she could clearly see him under the light of the street lamp. She saw his green eyes, blonde hair and unmistakable facial features. He looked a little different than he had before the war; his face was slightly sunken in and his blonde hair appeared to have lost a little lustre. However, there was no mistake about it: the man was Usui Takumi.

Tears began to flow out of her eyes and wet her cheek. They fell onto the pavement as she began to run towards him. Questions one would normally ask in that situation didn't cross her mind; for example, why didn't he come searching for her? The simple joy of seeing him after so long had managed to take over her mind and occupy all her thoughts: he was still alive.

What she saw next made her stop dead in her tracks. She hadn't noticed that he was standing in front of someone. Misaki had been too captivated by the fact that he was still alive to pay attention to the fact that he was talking with someone. Misaki couldn't see her face, but she could see that person was wearing a dress of some sort; it was a woman. Misaki stopped, frozen in shock when Usui leaned forward and kissed the other woman.

What just happened? Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was this all just a bad dream? She rubbed her hands over her eyes to wake herself up from the nightmare she was experiencing, but when she opened her eyes, she could still see him kissing her. Instantly, the shock transformed into extreme anger. What was he doing with another woman? Usui Takumi dared to cheat on her? She was not going to let him get away with this. She clenched her hands into fists and stalked over to where he was standing.

He didn't seem to take notice of Misaki as he continued to talk with the woman. Misaki came up to him and punched him in the face.

"What the heck!" shouted the other woman.

Usui was quite surprised at the stranger's sudden punching him. How could he anger someone so much, when he'd never even met her before?

"What was that for?" he asked.

"What was that for? Are you seriously asking me that?" asked an enraged Misaki.

"Usui, who is she?" asked the other woman.

"I don't know, I've never even seen her before," replied Usui.

Hearing this, Misaki became even more enraged. "You have quite the nerve, don't you? Being caught and then acting as if you don't know me," said Misaki, breathing heavily.

"What are you talking about?" asked Usui.

"What am I talking about? I can't believe you. You're a married man, yet you're going around kissing oth—" Misaki was cut off by the other woman, who slapped her in the face.

Misaki turned towards her, rubbing her hand on her reddened cheek, glaring angrily at the woman.

"Who are you to go around claiming that random people are cheating on you?" asked the woman, "he's already told you hasn't he? He doesn't know you, so stop trying to say stuff like 'oh, he's married to me'".

Misaki darted her eyes back and forth between the woman and Usui. She didn't know who to be angrier with: the lying, cheating Usui or the ignorant woman.

"You know, I've heard about people like you: stalkers, that's what they call you," said the woman, mockingly.

"What?" asked Misaki. The words hurt her because she realized they were true; she was a stalker. Usui wanted to be with this other woman over Misaki and Misaki was prying at his relationship. He had made it very clear that he didn't want to be with her when he pretended not to recognize her. Misaki knew she didn't have the right to be in his way or try to interfere with his life. Perhaps Misaki hadn't been able to make Usui happy the way this woman did and such a fact didn't surprise her. The gap between Misaki and Usui was great, with Usui being out of her league.

Even during high school a fortune teller had predicted their relationship would eventually fail, but she refused to believe it. No, she did believe it. In her heart she knew that she didn't deserve the happiness being with Usui brought her, she simply refused to allow that knowledge to surface. She continued to chase her dream of being with him, but that dream was always out of her reach.

"We should call the police, otherwise she'll follow us around everywhere. She'll probably follow us home to," said the woman, pulling out her cell phone from her purse.

"No," said Misaki, her face lowered, "you won't have to; I'm leaving. I'm sorry for bothering you." Misaki bowed, turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction.

Misaki heard the other woman laugh behind her back and say, "Jeez, some people can be so troublesome."

Misaki closed her eyes and bit her lips as she fought hard to hold back the tears. The betrayal stung, but she had no right to cry because Usui was never hers to begin with.

* * *

Usui Takumi woke up abruptly. He had been sleeping peacefully, when a sudden realization had come over him. He jolted upright and jumped out of bed. He opened drawers and tore through them until he found clothes to change into.

Rika woke up from the sound of all the drawers being smashed shut. She groggily opened her eyes and looked out the window; it was still dark outside. She turned her gaze to find her bedroom floor littered with clothes and to see Usui frantically running around.

"Where are you going? The sun's not even up yet," she said sleepily. When Usui turned around to face her, she became worried. His hair was in a tangled mess and his face was full of desperation and panic. Rika had never seen him like this before and didn't know why he was acting this way.

"What's wrong?" she asked, getting out of bed.

"I'm sorry," he replied.

"Sorry? About what?" she asked, confused.

"I'm sorry," he repeated again, "good bye Rika."

"Wait, stop!" she cried, as Usui ran out of the room. Rika chased him, but couldn't keep up as dashed outside. When she finally reached the front door, he was already in his car. He didn't make eye contact with her as he pulled quickly out of the driveway and drove off.

Usui sped through the empty streets, racing towards his house. It had all suddenly come flooding back into his head: Misaki, Yue, the memories which once filled his vacant memory had returned. The terrible realization at what he had said to Misaki only a few months ago forged itself in his brain as if it was branded iron. Every time he remembered the way Misaki had turned around and left, he felt as though someone was jabbing him with a sword.

Once he finally reached his house, he was completely taken by surprise to see that the place he once called home to be nowhere in sight. The house, where he and Misaki had lived after getting married, the place where Yue was born, the place where they had spent so many happy years together had vanished. A dense forage of weeds covered the empty lot where his house once stood.

Where were Misaki and Yue? Their house wasn't there, but surely they still existed. An idea came across his mind and he jumped back into his car. Suzuna and Shintani would know where Misaki was, or better yet, Misaki was probably at Suzuna's house right. Usui pictured Misaki sitting on Suzuna's couch with Yue, laughing as she watched television with him. The thought brought some peace to his otherwise chaotic mind. When he explained what happened, she would surely forgive him, as Misaki had always been very understanding.

Usui parked his car in front Suzuna and Shintani's apartment and jumped into the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor and waited as the car made its ascent. Each passing second felt like an eternity as he waited for the elevator to reach its destination. When the doors finally opened, he ran to Suzuna and Shintani's apartment and banged on the door.

A few moments later, the door was opened by Suzuna, who rubbed her eyes as she sleepily asked, "Who is it?" Upon seeing Usui, she was jolted awake. For a brief moment there was surprise on her face, but that surprise quickly transformed into anger.

She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Where's Misaki?" asked Usui frantically.

"Why are you here?" she pressed.

"I need to see Misaki."

"How dare you show up here after what you did to her!" screamed Suzuna.

"Please, it was just a misunderstanding y—"

Usui was cut off by Shintani who asked, "Who is it Suzuna?" from inside the apartment.

"Usui," she replied, her teeth gritted.

"Usui?" asked Shintani, surprised. He rolled his wheelchair beside his wife and upon seeing Usui's face, also became angry.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Please, you have to let me see Misaki," pleaded Usui.

"You have no right to see her," he replied coldly.

"I know that Misaki's mad at me right now, but once I explain things to her, she'll understand."

"I don't think that'll be possible," said Suzuna.

"Fine, but at least let me Yue. I haven't seen him in such a long time. You've got to let me see him, please," begged Usui.

Upon hearing Yue's name, Suzuna closed her eyes and furrowed her brows as if she was in pain. Shitani looked at the ground and said in a low voice, "Usui, Yue's been dead for almost a year now."

Usui's heart skipped a beat. "What?" he asked.

"Didn't you know? He died last year during the Hokkaido incident; he was killed by a stray bullet," replied Shintani.

The news of Yue's death made Usui completely fall apart. Yue had been the greatest thing that even happened to him. Tears dripped down his face as he said, weeping, "Please, you have to let me see Misaki."

"You can't see her," said Suzuna.

"Please, please, please!" cried Usui.

"You can't see her because she isn't here," said Suzuna.

"Oh, is she at work then? Please tell me where she is because I have to see her."

"I don't know where she is," replied Suzuna, her face darkening.

"No, tell me; I know you know where she is," said Usui.

Suzuna didn't respond and returned inside. Shintani answered, "Usui, Misaki has been gone for several months now."

"What do you mean?"

"One night she just packed her things and left. We didn't even know she had left until we woke up the next morning."

"Didn't she leave behind an address or a phone number?"

Shintani shook his head and replied, "Nothing. We tried calling her cellphone, but it kept saying that her number didn't exist. I guess she didn't want anyone to know where she went."

Shitani studied Usui's face: it was full of both sadness and regret. However, even so, he refused to let Usui off for what he'd done to Misaki. "You're the reason she left. She told us about how you betrayed her, Usui. Don't ever think we'll forgive you for what you did; you ruined her life. Now, get out of here," said Shintani slamming the door on Usui's face.

* * *

As he sat in the empty car of the train, Usui looked at the world outside. It was dark, but he could see the faint white glow of the snow blanketing the entire countryside. He shivered and rubbed his hands together at the cold, winter air. He put his hand in his jacket pockets and watched the gently rolling hills and farmland pass swiftly by his window. Although his body felt cold, Usui was not gloomy or sad and felt quite the opposite.

After learning of Misaki's disappearance almost a year ago, Usui had taken it upon himself to find her by any means necessary. There was so much he needed to tell her, to explain to her and to apologize to her for. So, he worked with an old friend from high school, Yukimura, who was now a member of the national statistics agency, to try and find Misaki.

To their success, they managed to find Misaki's location: a remote costal village in northern Honshu. As soon as he discovered her location, he immediately bought the first train tickets he could get to, to reunite with her. When the train doors slid open, Usui jumped out and ran towards the orphanage down the street from the station.

Usui had learned that Misaki was working at the village's orphanage as a caretaker for the children. As expected of his Misaki. She was such a kind and caring person and those kids were really lucky to have her. Misaki was always great with kids. She always seemed to know exactly what they wanted and understood how to best take care of them. She loved kids and kids loved her.

The doors of the orphanage flew open as Usui burst inside, breathing heavily. He stopped to catch his breath before running towards a lady sitting at the front desk. The woman was busy looking at paperwork, so she didn't notice Usui when he stood in front of her.

Usui rang a little bell on the counter to get her attention. Upon hearing the _ding_, the woman looked up to see a peculiar looking man with a strange expression looking at her. The man, whom she had never seen before, had an expression that was a mixture of both eagerness and happiness. She asked him, "How may I help you?"

"Do you know an Usui Misaki?"

"No, but I do know an Ayuzawa Misaki."

Usui grimaced upon hearing that Misaki had dropped his last name.

"Are you Usui Takumi?" asked the woman.

"Yes."

"Ayuzawa left something for you," said the woman, handing Usui an envelope. The front of the envelope read: _To Usui Takumi_. He tore open the paper and found a folded piece of paper inside. He opened it up and discovered that it was a letter:

_Dear Usui, _

_If you are reading this letter, then you have somehow come across my location. I took it upon myself to get as far away from you and that other woman, as I possibly could. The truth is that I'm the problem, not you. If I stayed, I would probably have probably have followed you around everywhere, trying to get you to take me back. Saying that makes me sound like a stalker. _

_Ironic isn't it? The demon student council president following others around, while she herself used to shun people for doing the exact same thing— what's gotten into her?_

_I guess I never realized what love could do to you. The time we spent together were the happiest years of my life. You gave me everything I could ever want: love and compassion. It's not just me that you made happy, but Yue as well. He loved you so much, maybe even more than me, but I don't blame him because that's just the type of person you are. _

_Although you surpassed my expectations as a husband, I understand that I did not surpass your expectations as a wife. You gave me so much, yet I could offer you so little in return, so I don't blame you for leaving me. I could never blame you for anything. Even as I sit in my chair, writing this letter and listening to the children playing and laughing, I love you. I'm sorry, that was rather abrupt, wasn't it? I guess I just had to say it. I'm living in a place completely foreign to me, I'm hundreds of kilometres away from my friends and I haven't seen or talked with my family in months, but I still love you. _

_If you come looking for me, no matter what you've done to me in the past, I will always take you back with open arms. On the__ other hand, even if you don't love me, I will always love you._

_Sincerely, _

_Ayuzawa Misaki. _

Upon reading the contents of the letter, Usui clenched the paper in his hand. What was she talking about, not being good enough for him? That Misaki had a lot of explaining to do.

"Excuse Miss, but may I speak with Misaki?" he asked the woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that won't be possible."

"Why?"

"Well, Ayuzawa doesn't work here anymore. She instructed me to give you that letter if something like this ever happened."

"What do you mean? Do you know where she is, then?"

"No, when I say she doesn't work here anymore, I mean she's dead. It was so tragic; she was crossing the street when a drunk driver ran her over. It was such a mess, the whole road was streaked in blood; she died instantly. The entire orphanage attended her funeral a few days ago. Such a shame: a young life taken before her time."

Upon hearing the news of Misaki's death, Usui's legs gave out from under and he collapsed onto his knees. Tears began to uncontrollably flow out from his eyes as he cried out. Many would consider that to be strange on Usui's part, as Usui wasn't normally the one to show such emotions. However, such a situation is enough to drive anyone insane.

What hurt Usui the most about this particular case was the circumstances under which Misaki had died. Usui hadn't been able to apologize for what he'd done, or even been given the chance to explain the situation to her. He had spent countless hours searching for her, to try and bring her back so that they could return to the way life had been before the war. He wanted to see her smile again, to see her laugh again, but the only image of Misaki that filled his mind was that of her darkened face, full of hatred for him. Misaki had died thinking that Usui had betrayed her and that he didn't love her, and that would always haunt him.

Outside, cold waves crashed against the rocky shores of the town. Snow fell from the heavens, blanketing the roads which the town had tried to clear, with more fresh snow. Children seemed to be delighted at the new arrival, taking to the streets and parks, running and laughing as they made snow angels and had snowball fights. These people continued their life completely unaware of the tragedies which had befallen others, merrily living their lives unconcerned and uncaring.

What Usui did with his life after that, is uncertain. Whether he refused to accept Misaki's death and continued looking for her, I cannot say. However, what is certain is the 'what if' that would devour Usui for the rest of his life. He would always think about what would've happened if had come to the orphanage just a few days sooner. Would he have met Misaki alive and have been able to apologize to her and bring her back? Perhaps, or perhaps not.

A flower that blooms in winter is not a fortunate one. It is born in a world of bitter cold that threatens its existence every second of the day. No matter how strong it may be or how great of a fight it puts on, it will inevitably perish.

The End

**I guess I didn't really get to explain it in the story, but Usui suffered from amnesia (I know, it's kind of cheesy, but hey, I love cheese!). He started looking for Misaki when his memory returned.**

**YAY! A happy ending (sort of... okay not really...). Anyways, a big thank you to everyone who read my story; you guys are awesome! Also, a huge thank you to everyone who commented because reading your comments made me very happy and really motivated me to continue writing this story. Please give me any feedback or comments you have. Once again, thanks for reading! Bye! :D **


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